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Wallpaper is one of the easiest finish materials you can install on a wall and needs a flat surface to adhere to in order for the installation to be complete. Textured walls do not provide the flat surface that wallpaper needs as a backer, but you can still use paper on textured walls as long as you pick an installation method that solves the problem of a flat surface for the wallpaper and its glue.

Paper First

One way to include wallpaper along with your textured wall is to install the paper first so that it is already dried and up on the wall. This allows you to texture up to the transition point and even cover it slightly if you want to make things look rugged and rustic. This gives the wallpaper the flat surface on top of the drywall that it needs and allows you to texture and tool the edges of the texture around the paper as needed.

Paper After

Although it is more time consuming than already having the paper in place, sometimes you might need to install the paper after the texture. In this case you need to have a block of wood the width of your wallpaper border or a strip of wood installed to mimic the edge of the wallpaper and give you a finish point to cut your texture mud against. When the mud has dried and you remove the wood you are left with a level and straight line of mud and an empty space of open drywall where you can then install the wallpaper.

Flushing Out

One primary issue with texture to wallpaper transitions is that wallpaper is very thin and most textures are at least 1/4-inch thick or more in some areas given the natural ins and outs of trowling, slap-brushing, spraying or daubing the mud onto the wall. One way to account for this depth is to add a layer of 1/4-inch plywood the width and height of your wallpaper border screwed directly onto the wall studs with the drywall installed on top of the plywood. This will push your wallpaper out an extra 1/4 inch and make your edging details easier.

Tapering

The other option for finishing the edge between the two materials is to taper the texture mud down from the rest of the wall to meet the border of wallpaper. This is best accomplished with the same metal trowel you use to apply mud to the wall for application of your texture. For best results, taper the edge out at least 12 inches from the border so that you have a slow, gradual slope down to meet the wallpaper. If you try to make the transition with only 3 or 4 inches of slope, it will show.

About the Author

Tim Anderson has been freelance writing since 2007. His has been published online through GTV Magazine, Home Anatomy, TravBuddy, MMO Hub, Killer Guides and the Delegate2 group. He spent more than 15 years as a third-generation tile and stone contractor before transitioning into freelance writing.